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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. BURGER.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

Patented Feb. 2 1897.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

P.BURGER. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. No. 576,430. Patented Feb. 2,1897.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3. F. BURGER. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

No. 576,430. Patented Feb. 2', 1897.

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I llwrrnn STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT IVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TI'IREE-FOURTHS TO HENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 576,430, dated February 2, 1897. Application fil d March 23, 1895. $erial No. 542,976. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ BURGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Gas Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in r5 explosive-gas engines in which a charge of gas and atmospheric air is ignited and exploded behind a piston to produce the forward stroke, the return stroke being accomplished by the momentum of the fly-wheel.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of such engine in which the cylinder will be freed from all products of combustion after an ignition of a charge; to provide means for charging the cyl- 2 5 inder with more or less combustible mixture without increasing or decreasing the pressure, so that the mixed air and gas in the cylinder is always under the same pressure; to provide means whereby the pressure in the res- 0 ervoir is always the same, whether the engine is running idle or doing full work.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

3 5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a gasengine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the ignition-tube and igniting-valve. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing the manner of operating the ignitingwalve. Fig. 5 is a detail View, on an enlarged scale, of the pressure and relief valves. Fig. 6 shows detail views 5 of the cam for operating the rod which actuates the cylinder supply-valve and the igniting-valve.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates the bed of the engine, to which is secured at one end a cylinder 2, provided with piston 3, piston-rod 4, and connectingrod 4 connected with crank 5, secured to a driving-shaft 6, provided with fiy-wheel 7. At the rear or outer end of this cylinder is a cylindrical valve-chamber 8, connected by 5 5 pipe 9 with an air and gas reservoir or compression-cylinder 10. This pipe is provided with a hand-valve 12 for opening and closing communication between the reservoir and valve-chamber. This valve-chamber extends out beyond the pipe 9, and located therein is a piston 13, connected by a valve-rod 14 with a valve 15, which engages with a seat 16 in the cylinder-head. This valve stem or rod is provided with a coiled spring 17 and extends 6 5 out through the outward end of the valvechamber, where it contacts with a lever 18, pivoted to a bracket 20. The other or lower end of this lever is connected with ahorizontal rod 21, having a friction-roller 21 at its opposite end, which engages with a cam 23 on a sleeve 24, slidable on the driving-shaft 6. This cam is wedge-shaped and the sleeve is connected by means of links 25 with arms 26, having balls 27 at their free ends, forming 7 5 a governor. The front end of rod 21 is pivoted to an arm 28, which in turn is pivoted to the bed of the machine, and is provided with a coiled spring 29.

At the opposite or front end of the cylinder is a valve-chamber 30, communicating by passages 31 with the interior thereof, and provided with an air-inlet 32 and a pipe 34, leading to the gas-supply. This chamber is provided with a suction-valve 35, and also with a valve 36 and a pipe 37, leading to the reservoir. The numeral 38 designates a reliefvalve seated in valve 36 and provided with a stem 39, a coiled spring 40, and an adjustingnut 41. The object of this relief-valve will be hereinafter explained.

Connected with the cylinder is a pipe 42, in which is located an ignition or firing tube 43. This pipe is provided with a burner 45, and is also connected with a valve-chamber 46, 5 provided with an ignition-valve 47. The stem 48 of this valve extends outwardly and is connected with a bell-crank lever 48, adapted to be engaged by a cam-block 49 on the rod 21 for opening and closing the same. The

cylinder is also provided with an exhaustvalve 50, stem 51, coiled spring 52, bell-crank lever 53, connected therewith, and a horizontal rod 54 pivotally connected with said lever and engaging with a cam 56 on the drivingshaft. It will be noted that the piston 13 is larger than the valve 15, so that it will present a greater area to the miXed air and gas than the valve an d thus insure that the latter shall be closed.

The operation is as follows: The reservoir is charged by turning the iiy-wheel several times, whereby gas and air are drawn in through the suction-valve by the movement of the piston-cylinder. By the return stroke of the piston the suction-valve is closed and the pressure-valve opened and the gas and air forced into the reservoir. When the desired pressure is obtained, the burner is lighted, which will heat the ignition-tube red-hot. The engine is then set with crank pointing toward the cylinder, but a little above the dead-center, as seen in Fig. 1. The handvalve 12 is now opened and the air and gas from the reservoir will rush into the cylinder and push the piston forward about one-fourth its stroke, according to adjustment, the supply being quickly cut off by means of the supply-valve and the rod and cam on the slidable sleeve. At the same moment the ignition-valve is opened by the cam on the said rod and the charge in the cylinder is ignited by the red-hot tube propelling the piston to the end of its stroke, the other side of the piston also forcing a new charge into the reservoir through the supply and pressure valves. Then the engine has attained proper speed, the governor commences to work, and as the speed increases the balls will fly apart, slidin g the sleeve on the crank-shaft and reducing the time the roller 21 of rod 2i is in contact with the cam 24:.

It is evident that if no provision were made the supply-valve 15 at the rear end would be forced open at all times by the pressure from the reservoir, but, as before stated, the piston 13 being of larger area than said valve will insure its being kept closed, except when actuated by the rod and cam on the slidable sleeve. When the engine is doing full work, the roller 21 will be 011 the longest part of the tapering or wedge-shaped block, thereby leaving the valve 15 open for a longer period of revolution of the driving-shaft, the governor being at this time depressed, the opening of the valve being when the piston is on its full inward stroke or dead-center. as the piston has passed the dead-center the incoming charge under pressure (say sixty pounds) will push the piston forward. When the piston has reacheda predetermined point, the valve closes quickly, and through the cam on rod 21 will open the ignition-valve. Then the sleeve is moved by the governor, so that the roller on rod 21 comes in contact with the shorter part of the cam, the valve will open at the same time, but will close earlier, and by so closing will open the ignition-valve earlier, the piston having made only a small part As soon.

of its stroke, and will therefore be propelled with less force. From this it will be seen that any intermediate point of cut-off can be accomplished through the wedge-shaped cam and governor.

Vvhen the piston has traveled to the full extent ot'its stroke, the exhaust-valve will be opened by its connections and the cam on the driving-shaft and kept open until the piston has ended its back stroke, cleaning out all the products of combustion in the cylinder.

By using less charge when the engine does not run up to its full power it will be evident that the pressure in the reservoir would increase, which I obviate by the adjustable relief-valve. This valve is adjustable by means of the spring and nut. Supposing the pressure to rise to a certain point, the valve will act as a safety-valve and will let a portion of the compressed air and gas in the reservoir flow back into the channel leading to the cylinder and therefore diminish pressure in the reservoir. As said air and gas passes back into the cylinder it will decrease the quantity of air and gas entering through the suctionvalve, and thus automatically regulate the supply.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder, the valve-chamber and supply valve at one end thereof, the lever connected with said valve, the horizontal rod pivoted to said lever and having a roller at the opposite end and a cam intermediate its ends and an ignition-valve operated thereby, of the driving-shaft, the slidable sleeve having a wedge-shaped cam, the governor and the spring-actuated exhaust-valve, the bellcrank lever, the connecting-rod and the cam on the driving-shaft, for actuating said valve, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder, the valve-chamber, the valve and piston located therein of differential areas, the valve-stem, the pipe and reservoir, of the lever connected with said stem, the rod provided with a cam, the ignitionvalve and bell-crank lever, the slidable sleeve on the driving-shaft having a wedge-shaped cam, and the governor; substantially as described.

3. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder, the piston, the reservoir for compressed gas, the passage connecting said cylinder and reservoir, and the air and gas inlet valves, of the valve-chamber connected with said passage, the reservoir delivery-valve located therein and so constructed as to be opened by the forward stroke of the piston and closed by the return stroke, and .the relief-valve, connected with said deliveryvalve, substantially as described.

t. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the cylinder, the piston, the reservoir for compressed gas, the passage connecting said cylinder and reservoir, and the air and gas inlet valves, of the valve-chamber c011- nected with said passage, the reservoir delivery-valve located therein and so constructed as to be opened by the forward stroke of the piston and closed by the return stroke, and the spring-actuated and adjustable reliefvalve connected with said delivery-valve,

substantially as described. 1

5. In an explosive-engine, the combination with the driving-shaft, the cylinder, the piston, the valve-chamber and the pressure and relief valves, the pipe leading to said valvechamber and the reservoir, the exhaust-valve and lever, the rod and the cam on the driving-shaft, of the valve-chamber at the rear FRANZ BURGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. CRANE, F. EVERETT ANDERSON. 

